Medical Drill and Implant Device and Methods of Using the Same

The present disclosure is directed to a medical device and methods for using the same.

Orthopedic surgeons treat musculoskeletal system ailments, such as injuries to bones, joints, and ligaments. This may require the insertion of a fastener or implant, such as a screw or pin, into bone. Generally, the implant is inserted into the bone by drilling a hole into the bone with a drill bit, removing the drill bit from the hole, measuring the depth of the hole with a depth gauge, inserting the implant into the hole with a screwdriver, and repeating this process for each implant. This process has several drawbacks.

One drawback is that the orthopedic surgeon uses physical force to push the drill while driving the drill bit into the bone. Similarly, manual force is used to withdraw the drill bit and to insert the screw into the hole with a screwdriver. These actions, which are often done repetitively, are fatiguing.

Furthermore, drilling a hole in bone often requires substantial force and may result in the inadvertent passage of the drill too far, potentially injuring the patient by penetrating the soft tissue. In addition, the surgeon may mistakenly insert the screw into the hole at the wrong angle or trajectory impairing the strength or effectiveness of the implant.

In addition, current drills do not detect when a bone cortex has been penetrated or the length between a near and a far bone cortex. Instead, depth gauges are typically used. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for the surgeon to obtain an accurate measurement of depth using the depth gauge because it requires tactile feedback, which can be demanding in the clinical setting. If the depth measurement is inaccurate, the surgeon may insert a screw of the wrong length, which should then be removed and discarded, resulting in wasted hardware and increased costs. In addition, if the depth measurement is inaccurate or technically difficult, verification may require repeated radiographs, which is time consuming. As a result, patients are subjected to longer anesthesia times and there is greater radiation exposure to the patient, the surgeon, and the ancillary medical staff.

The present disclosure is directed to a drill and implant device and methods for using the same.

The device is configured to automatically drill a hole into an object, such as a bone, stop once a desired depth has been reached, retract automatically, and subsequently insert an implant into the hole. The device drills the hole and inserts the implant without physical intervention on part of a user. More specifically, in contrast to traditional drills and screwdrivers, the user does not apply a physical force to the device to drill the hole or insert the implant. Rather, the device drills the hole and inserts the implant under its own power. In addition, the user does not move the device when switching between drilling the hole to inserting the implant. Instead, the device may remain stationary during both the drilling of the hole and the insertion of the implant. Accordingly, surgical efficiency and accuracy are improved, and radiation exposure is reduced.

The device is configured to operate in a plurality of different operation modes including a manual mode, a first cortex drill mode, a second cortex find mode, a second cortex drill mode, a fixed depth mode, and a lag screw mode. The device automatically drills into a target bone to different depths depending on the operation mode. Other modes are also possible.

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the disclosed subject matter. However, the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and methods of using electrical components and devices, such as drills, screwdrivers, and sensors, have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the descriptions of other aspects of the present disclosure.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising,” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

10 The present disclosure is directed to a drill and implant deviceand methods for using the same.

1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 FIG. 1 2 3 4 5 FIGS.,,,, and 10 10 10 10 10 is a first angled view of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein.is a second angled view of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein.is a first internal view of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein.is an exploded view of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein.is a second internal view of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. It is beneficial to reviewtogether.

10 10 11 10 5 FIG. 1 5 FIGS.- The housing of the deviceis removed in. Further, the deviceis mounted with a drill bitin. However, as will be discussed in further detail below, the devicemay be mounted with various other tools, such as drill bits, screws, pins, reamers, and anchors.

10 12 14 15 16 18 20 22 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 The deviceincludes a housing, a handle, a battery, an upper trigger, a lower trigger, a user interface, a controller cover, a linear controller, a drill controller, an application controller, a nose cone, a rail, a carriage, a lead screw, a bearing structure, a shaft coupling, a linear motor, a chuck, and a drill motor.

12 10 12 50 10 10 The housingis a protective body that contains internal components of the device. The internal components will be discussed in further detail below. The housingincludes a doorthat opens to expose the internal components of the device, as well as allow for tools to be loaded into the device. The loading of tools will be discussed in further detail below.

14 12 14 10 14 14 12 10 The handleis coupled to the housing. The handleallows a user to hold and handle the devicewith a single hand or with two hands. The handlemay also be placed and secured in a holder for remote operation. The handle, in addition to the housing, may contain internal components of the device, such as a processor and various electrical components.

14 17 10 20 22 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 17 The handleincludes a support portionthat provides a platform for the other components of the device. For example, the user interface, the controller cover, the linear controller, the drill controller, the application controller, the nose cone, the rail, the carriage, the lead screw, the bearing structure, the shaft coupling, the linear motor, a chuck, and the drill motorare positioned on the support portion.

15 14 15 10 15 10 15 The batteryis coupled to the handle. The batteryis a power source that provides electrical power for the various components of the device. The batteryalso provides a base or support for the device. The batterymay be any type of power source that provides electrical power.

16 18 14 16 18 10 10 16 18 44 16 44 11 52 32 18 44 11 54 32 16 18 48 16 48 11 18 48 11 16 18 10 16 18 10 10 16 18 16 18 44 48 16 18 3 FIG. 3 FIG. The upper triggerand the lower triggerare positioned on the handle. The functions of the upper triggerand the lower triggerchange depending on the current settings of the deviceand operation mode of the device. For example, in case the upper triggerand the lower triggerare set to control the linear motor, the upper triggeroperates the linear motorto linearly move the drill bitin a forward direction(referring to) out of the nose cone, and the lower triggeroperates the linear motorto linearly move the drill bitin a backward direction(referring to) into the nose cone. As another example, in case the upper triggerand the lower triggerare set to control the drill motor, the upper triggeroperates the drill motorto rotate the drill bitin a clockwise direction, and the lower triggeroperates the drill motorto rotate the drill bitin counter-clockwise direction (or vice versa). As another example, one of the upper triggeror the lower triggerinitiates an operation mode of the deviceand the other one of the upper triggeror the lower triggerstops the operation mode of the device. Operation modes of the devicewill be discussed in further detail below. The upper triggerand the lower triggerare also coupled to a sensor, such as a Hall Effect sensor, to measure how much each of the upper triggerand the lower triggerhave been pulled (e.g., how much pressure is applied). The speed of, for example, the linear motoror the drill motoris adjusted proportionally to how much the upper triggerand the lower triggerhave been pulled.

20 17 12 20 10 32 20 14 20 10 10 20 The user interfaceis positioned on the support portionin the housing. The user interfaceis positioned on an opposite side of the devicefrom the nose cone. The user interfacemay be positioned at other locations, such as on the handle. The user interfacemay also be located at a remote location from the device, and communicate with remaining components of the devicewirelessly though, for example, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The user interfacemay be any type of user interface, such as a touch display and a display with a plurality of user inputs.

20 10 10 20 10 10 10 10 20 10 The user interfacedisplays information to a user, as well as receives input from the user. The information includes various types of data and parameters related to the deviceand processes performed by the device. For example, the user interfacedisplays a size and type of tool (e.g., drill bit, screwdriver bit) and implant (e.g., screw or pin) currently loaded in the device, measurements generated by the device(e.g., depth measurement of a current hole being drilled), and parameters of the device(e.g., current torque level, current drilling or screwing speed, current power level). The information also includes various operation modes of the devicethat may be selected by the user through the user interfaceand status information of the various operation modes (e.g., the current total time of performing a particular operation mode). The different operation modes of the devicewill be discussed in further detail below.

22 17 12 22 26 28 30 22 10 20 The controller coveris positioned on the support portionin the housing. The controller coverprovides a housing or enclosure for the linear controller, the drill controller, and the application controller. The controller coveris positioned on an opposite side of the devicefrom the user interface.

26 22 26 44 44 26 44 38 11 52 32 44 38 11 54 32 26 44 The linear controlleris positioned in the controller cover. The linear controlleris communicatively coupled to the linear motorand controls operation of the linear motor. For example, the linear controllerinstructs the linear motorto rotate the lead screwin a first direction such that the drill bitlinearly moves in the forward directionout of the nose cone, and instructs the linear motorto rotate the lead screwin a second, opposite direction such that the drill bitlinearly moves in the backward directioninto the nose cone. The linear controlleralso monitors various parameters, such as revolutions per minute (RPM) or revolutions per second (RPS), operation time, and operation history, of the linear motor.

28 22 28 48 48 28 48 11 48 11 28 48 The drill controlleris positioned in the controller cover. The drill controlleris communicatively coupled to the drill motorand controls operation of the drill motor. For example, the drill controllerinstructs the drill motorto rotate the drill bitin a clockwise direction, and instructs the drill motorto rotate the drill bitin counter-clockwise direction. The drill controlleralso monitors various parameters, such as RPM or RPS, operation time, and operation history, of the drill motor.

30 22 30 26 28 30 26 28 44 48 30 10 The application controlleris positioned in the controller cover. The application controlleris communicatively coupled to the linear controllerand the drill controller. The application controllerexecutes various programs or applications, and provides corresponding instructions to the linear controllerand the drill controller, which in turn, provide instructions to the linear motorand the drill motor, respectively. For example, as will be discussed in further detail below, the application controllercontrols the deviceto perform various operation modes.

26 28 30 10 The linear controller, the drill controller, and the application controllermay each be any type of controller, processor, or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that executes instructions stored in a memory of the device.

32 12 32 46 48 32 33 46 32 32 32 32 32 1 FIG. The nose coneis coupled to a front end of the housing. The nose coneis aligned with the chuckand the drill motor. The nose coneincludes a guide portion(referring to) that provides a guide for the tool loaded into the chuckand exiting out of the nose cone. In operation, the nose coneis placed at a target location (e.g., femur, knee, spine, tibia, etc.). Various drill bits, screws, pins, reamers, and anchors exit out of the nose cone. Although the nose coneis shown to have a conical shape, other shapes (e.g., cylindrical) are also possible. The nose coneis sometimes referred to as a cannula.

34 17 12 34 36 36 34 34 37 34 34 52 54 34 The railis positioned on the support portionin the housing. The railis a continuous bar that acts as a guide for the carriage. The carriageis configured to glide along the rail. The railincludes a rail platformthat is engaged with the railand configured to slide along the railin the forward directionand the backward directionwithout decoupling from the rail.

36 34 37 36 37 34 34 36 46 48 36 56 57 56 38 56 38 57 46 48 The carriageis coupled to the rail, more specifically the rail platform. The carriageis secured to the rail platformand is able to slide along the railwithout decoupling from the rail. The carriageprovides a support for the chuckand the drill motor. The carriageincludes a threaded portionand a mounting portion. The threaded portionmates with the lead screw. More specifically, the threaded portionincludes internal threads that are mated with external threads of the lead screw. The mounting portionprovides a support for the chuckand the drill motor.

38 36 40 42 38 56 40 42 38 56 38 58 56 38 44 36 58 3 FIG. The lead screwis coupled to the carriage, the bearing structure, and the shaft coupling. The lead screwextends through the threaded portion, and extends between the bearing structureand the shaft coupling. The lead screwis a threaded rod having external threads that are mated with the threaded portion. The lead screwis configured to rotate around an axis(referring to). As the external threads are mated with the internal threads of the threaded portion, the rotation of the lead screwby the linear motorcause the carriageto move along the axis.

40 12 38 40 38 12 38 58 40 The bearing structureis coupled between a sidewall of the housingand a first end of the lead screw. The bearing structurecouples the leading screwto the housingwhile also allowing the lead screwto freely rotate around the axis. In one embodiment, the bearing structureis a ball bearing.

42 38 44 42 44 38 44 38 42 44 38 44 38 58 42 44 38 38 The shaft couplingis coupled between a second end, opposite to the first end, of the lead screwand the linear motor. The shaft couplingis a mechanical coupling that connects the linear motorto the lead screwand transmits power from the linear motorto the lead screw. Stated differently, the shaft couplingtransfers the rotation motion generated by the linear motordirectly to the lead screw. As a result, the linear motoris able to rotate the lead screwaround the axis. The shaft coupling, for example, minimizes misalignment and vibration between the linear motorand the lead screwand ensures proper rotation of the lead screw.

44 38 42 44 42 38 58 44 38 The linear motoris coupled to the lead screwby the shaft coupling. The linear motorrotates the shaft coupling, which in turn rotates the lead screwaround the axis. The linear motormay be any type of motor that provides a rotating motion for the lead screw.

44 44 58 44 26 30 10 The linear motorincludes a motor encoder that detects a determined rotation or step amount (e.g., 5, 10, 15, …, or 360 degrees) of the linear motoraround the axis. The motor encoder translates each determined rotation amount of the linear motorinto an electrical signal or pulse, and transmits the electrical signal to the linear controllerand/or the application controllerfor further processing. As will be discussed in further detail below, a total step count of the determined rotation amounts is used to determine a depth measurement of a current hole being drilled by the device.

46 36 57 46 46 62 62 58 3 FIG. The chuckis positioned on the carriage, more specifically on the mounting portion. The chuckis a bit mount configured to hold or clamp a tool, such as a drill bit, a screw, a pin, a reamer, and an anchor, to be used in a drill and implantation process. The chuckrotates around an axis(referring to). The axisis parallel to the axis.

48 36 57 46 48 57 48 46 62 48 46 46 62 48 46 11 62 48 46 48 44 The drill motoris positioned on the carriage, more specifically on the mounting portion, along with the chuck. The drill motorextends through a through hole of the mounting portion. The drill motorrotates the chuckaround the axis. As the drill motorrotates the chuck, the tool loaded in the chuckrotates around the axis. For example, as the drill motorrotates the chuck, the drill bitrotates around the axisto drill. The drill motormay be any type of motor that provides a rotating motion for the chuck. The drill motoris able to operate concurrently with the linear motor.

48 44 48 44 Although the drill motorand the linear motorare shown as separate motors, the functions of the drill motorand the linear motormay also be combined and performed by a single motor using, for example, switching couplings and/or gear shifters.

44 48 44 48 In one embodiment, the linear motorand the drill motorinclude torque restrictors configured to prevent overtightening an implant and to prevent excessive torque on and damage to the linear motorand the drill motor.

5 FIG. 44 38 42 40 42 56 36 38 38 34 36 46 48 57 36 As best shown in, the linear motoris coupled to the lead screwby the shaft coupling, and the bearing structureand the shaft couplingare coupled to the threaded portionof the carriageby the lead screw. The lead screwin turn is coupled to the railby the carriage. Further, the chuckand the drill motorare coupled to the mounting portionof the carriage.

44 38 36 58 46 48 46 52 54 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 22 26 28 30 32 34 38 40 42 44 14 With this configuration, when the linear motorrotates the lead screw, the carriagemoves along the axis. As a result, the chuck, the drill motor, and the tool loaded in the chuckare able to move in the forward directionand the backward directionwhile remaining components of the device(e.g., the housing, the handle, the battery, the upper trigger, the lower trigger, the user interface, the controller cover, the linear controller, the drill controller, the application controller, the nose cone, the rail, the lead screw, the bearing structure, the shaft coupling, and the linear motor) remain stationary with respect to the handle.

6 FIG. 11 10 11 10 10 shows a loading of, for example, the drill bitinto the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. Although the drill bitis shown as being loaded into the device, other types of tools, such as screws, pins, reamers, and anchors, are similarly loaded into the device.

64 50 12 46 33 32 50 In a first step, the dooris removed from the housing. As a result, the chuckand the guide portionof the nose coneare exposed. The doormay also be configured to open (e.g., flip up) instead of being removed.

66 11 12 11 33 32 In a second step, the drill bitis positioned in the housingby inserting the drill bitin the guide portionof the nose cone.

68 11 46 11 46 46 33 32 11 46 50 In a third step, the drill bitis loaded into the chuck. The drill bitis aligned with the chuckand extends from the chuckand into the guide portionof the nose cone. Once the drill bitis secured by the chuck, the dooris closed and a drill and implantation process may then be performed.

10 10 20 30 10 The deviceis configured to operate in a plurality of different operation modes: a manual mode, a first cortex drill mode, a second cortex find mode, a second cortex drill mode, a fixed depth mode, and a lag screw mode. The devicedrills into a target bone to different depths depending on the operation mode. The user selects one of the operation modes using the user interface. The operation modes are executed by the application controller, which in turn controls the various components of the device.

7 FIG. 7 FIG. 8 13 FIGS.- 70 70 72 74 76 11 78 70 71 shows a target boneaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. The boneincludes a near cortex, an intramedullary cavity, and a far cortex. The drill bithas a tipand is used to drill into the bonein a drill direction.will be referenced as an example during the discussion ofbelow.

8 FIG. 80 10 10 11 32 10 70 11 52 54 44 is a block diagram of a methodof operating a manual mode of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the manual mode, the deviceextends the drill bitout of the nose cone, and the user manually moves the deviceto drill into the target boneto a determined depth. Stated differently, the drill bitis not automatically moved in the forward directionor the backward directionby the linear motor.

82 11 10 11 10 11 20 6 FIG. In block, the drill bitis loaded into the device. The drill bitis loaded into the deviceas discussed with respect to. The user confirms that the drill bitis loaded using the user interface.

84 11 32 30 26 44 38 42 36 52 11 46 48 36 11 32 In block, the drill bitis moved to extend out of the nose cone. More specifically, the application controllerinstructs the linear controllerto control the linear motorto rotate the lead screw(through the shaft coupling) such that the carriagemoves in the forward direction. The drill bit, the chuck, and the drill motormove along with the carriage. The carriage is moved until the drill bitextends out of the nose cone.

86 10 10 70 11 52 54 44 In block, the deviceis used by the user manually to perform a drill process. The user manually moves the deviceto drill into the target boneto a determined depth. The drill bitis not automatically moved in the forward directionor the backward directionby the linear motor.

16 48 46 11 18 48 46 11 48 16 18 In the manual mode, the upper triggeroperates the drill motorto rotate the chuckand the drill bitin a clockwise direction, and the lower triggeroperates the drill motorto rotate the chuckand the drill bitin counter-clockwise direction (or vice versa). The speed of the drill motoris controlled by the amount of pressure on the upper triggerand the lower trigger.

88 10 11 46 11 50 12 11 46 10 20 10 70 16 18 10 70 52 54 44 6 FIG. In block, the deviceis used to perform an implantation process. In the implantation process, the drill bitis unloaded from the chuck. The drill bitis removed by removing the doorfrom the housing, and removing the drill bitfrom the chuck. An implant driver with an implant, such as a screw, screw holder, a pin, or a pin holder, is then loaded into the deviceas discussed with respect to. The user confirms that the implant is loaded using the user interface. The deviceis then used by the user to manually insert the implant into the target boneby, for example, depressing one of the upper triggeror the lower trigger. The user manually moves the deviceto insert the implant into the target boneto a determined depth. The implant is not automatically moved in the forward directionor the backward directionby the linear motor.

9 FIG. 7 FIG. 92 10 10 72 74 78 11 90 is a block diagram of a methodof operating a first cortex drill mode of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the first cortex drill mode, the deviceautomatically drills through the first, near cortexand stops once the intramedullary cavityis reached. More specifically, the drill process is stopped when the tipof the drill bitat or passed position(referring to).

94 11 10 11 10 11 20 6 FIG. In block, the drill bitis loaded into the device. The drill bitis loaded into the deviceas discussed with respect to. The user confirms that the drill bitis loaded using the user interface.

95 10 70 10 32 70 32 70 10 95 10 14 92 10 In block, the deviceis positioned at a target location, such as the bone, by the user. The deviceis positioned such that the nose coneis in physical contact with the boneand the opening of the nose conedirectly overlies the bone. Once the deviceis put into position in block, the deviceremains stationary with respect to the handlefor the remainder of the method. Further, the user does not apply physical force to push the deviceto drill or insert an implant into the bone. As a result, fatigue of the user is minimized.

96 10 11 78 11 32 32 78 11 32 11 70 In block, the deviceis calibrated for subsequent torque measurements. During calibration, the drill bitis moved into a calibration position in which the tipof the drill bitis in the nose conebut does not extend out of the opening of the nose cone. The tipof the drill bitis spaced from the opening of the nose coneby a determined distance (e.g., 5-10 millimeters). As a result, the drill bitis not physically contacting the bone.

78 20 16 18 16 18 In one embodiment, the user manually moves the tipinto the calibration position using the user interface, the upper trigger, and/or the lower trigger. For example, the user pulls both the upper triggerand the lower triggerconcurrently to initiate the calibration.

30 26 44 38 42 36 11 46 48 52 11 11 30 11 In one embodiment, the application controllerinstructs the linear controllerto control the linear motorto rotate the lead screw(through the shaft coupling) such that the carriage, along with the drill bit, the chuck, and the drill motor, moves in the forward direction. The carriage is moved until the drill bitis in the calibration position. In this embodiment, the user enters parameters of the drill bit(e.g., type, length, pitch, etc.) so that the application controlleris able to determine when the drill bitis in the calibration position based on the parameters.

11 30 48 46 11 44 48 44 48 11 70 10 30 44 48 Once the drill bitis in the calibration position, the application controllerinstructs the drill motorto rotate the chuckand the drill bit, and measures the torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor. As there is no contact between the drill bitand the bone, the measured torque provides a baseline or reference torque value when there is no physical load on the device. The application controllermeasures torque using, for example, a torque sensor or a combination of force and distance sensors, or estimates torque based on, for example, electrical parameters (e.g., electrical current or power draw) of the linear motorand/or the drill motor.

30 44 48 44 48 98 100 102 104 The application controllercontinuously measures the torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorthroughout blocks,,, and.

96 95 96 95 10 96 10 95 9 FIG. Although blockis shown subsequent to blockin, blockmay also be performed prior to or concurrent with block. For example, the deviceis calibrated in blockprior to the devicebeing positioned at the target location in block.

98 10 30 28 48 46 11 48 In block, drilling by the deviceis started. The application controllerinstructs the drill controllerto start the drill motor, which in turn rotates the chuckand the drill bitin a first direction (e.g., clockwise). In one embodiment, the drill motoris ramped up to its maximum RPM.

100 10 98 30 26 44 38 42 36 11 46 48 52 36 36 10 36 44 48 In block, the drilling by the deviceis advanced concurrently with the drilling started in block. The application controllerinstructs the linear controllerto rotate the linear motorin a first direction (e.g., clockwise), which in turn rotates the lead screw(through the shaft coupling). As a result, the carriage, along with the drill bit, the chuck, and the drill motor, moves in the forward direction. In one embodiment, the carriageis advanced at a constant rate. In one embodiment, the carriageis advanced at a variable rate dependent on the power consumption of the device. For example, the carriageis advanced at a slower rate when power consumption of, for example, the linear motorand/or the drill motoris greater than a determined threshold.

102 30 72 30 78 11 72 103 44 48 44 48 7 FIG. In block, the application controllerdetects the first cortex. More specifically, the application controllerdetects that the tipof the drill bitcontacts the first cortexat position(referring to) based on the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor.

30 11 72 44 48 44 48 96 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas contacted the first cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas increased from their respective baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount.

30 11 72 44 48 44 48 96 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas contacted the first cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas increased from their respective baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount and a determined rate of increase.

30 72 20 10 100 The application controllersaves and sets the increased torque value (i.e., the current torque value) as a first cortex baseline torque value. In addition, the detection of the first cortexis displayed on the user interface. The drilling by the deviceis then continued to be linearly advanced concurrently with the drilling as discussed with respect to block.

101 44 44 44 26 30 101 72 102 72 72 30 26 30 10 100 In block, a step counter is started. As discussed above, the linear motorincludes a motor encoder that detects a determined rotation or step amount (e.g., 5, 10, 15, …, or 360 degrees) of the linear motor. The motor encoder translates each determined rotation amount of the linear motorinto an electrical signal or pulse, and transmits the electrical signal to the linear controllerand/or the application controller. In block, the step counter, which is initialized to zero, is started in response to detecting the first cortexin block. The step counter is incremented each time the electrical signal is received from the motor encoder. Stated differently, after the first cortexis detected, the step counter is incremented each time the motor encoder detects the determined rotation amount. As such, the step counter represents a total count of the determined rotation amount detected since the first cortexwas detected. In one embodiment, the application controllerstarts and keeps track of the step counter. In one embodiment, the linear controllerstarts and keeps track of the step counter, and reports the step counter to the application controllerfor further processing. The incrementing and tracking of the step counter are continued once the step counter is started. The drilling by the deviceis also continued to be linearly advanced concurrently with the drilling as discussed with respect to block.

104 30 72 78 11 90 74 44 48 44 48 In block, the application controllerdetects that the drilling of the first cortexhas completed and the tipof the drill bithas reached or passed positionat the intramedullary cavitybased on the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor.

30 11 74 44 48 44 48 102 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas reached the intramedullary cavityin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas decreased from their respective first cortex baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount.

30 11 74 44 48 44 48 102 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas reached the intramedullary cavityin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas decreased from their respective first cortex baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount and at a determined rate of decrease.

72 74 20 The completion of the drilling of the first cortexand the detection of the intramedullary cavityare displayed on the user interface.

105 30 78 11 70 71 103 78 11 72 In block, the application controllerdetermines a current depth of the hole currently being drilled. The current depth is the distance the tipof the drill bithas traveled into the bonein the drill direction, starting from the position(where the tipof the drill bitfirst contacts the first cortex).

105 72 104 103 90 As blockis performed in response to detection that the drilling of the first cortexhas completed in block, the current depth indicates the depth of the hole drilled from positionto position.

30 38 101 38 38 38 38 38 58 38 38 38 10 20 105 The application controllerdetermines the current depth based on parameters of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter in block. The parameters of the lead screwincludes various parameters of the lead screw, such as type of material, type of lead screw, a length of the lead screw, a pitch of the lead screw, and a lead of the lead screw. The pitch of the lead screwindicates a distance between adjacent threads of the lead screw. The lead of the lead screwindicates a linear distance along the axisthe lead screwtravels per determined rotation (e.g., 360 degrees) of the lead screw. The parameters of the lead screware entered into the devicethrough the user interface, and may be entered at any time prior to block.

38 38 38 30 38 In one embodiment, the current depth is determined based on the pitch of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter. The pitch of the lead screwindicates a distance between adjacent threads of the lead screw. For example, the application controllerdetermines the pitch of the lead screwcorresponds to a determined depth distance per determined rotation amount, and determines the current depth based on the product of the current value of the step counter and the determined depth distance per determined rotation amount.

38 38 58 38 38 30 38 Similarly, in one embodiment, the current depth is determined based on the lead of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter. The lead of the lead screwindicates a linear distance along the axisthe lead screwtravels in a determined rotation (e.g., 360 degrees) of the lead screw. For example, the application controllerdetermines the lead of the lead screwcorresponds to a determined depth distance per determined rotation amount, and determines the current depth based on the product of the current value of the step counter and the determined depth distance per determined rotation amount.

105 38 38 38 105 It is noted that the determined current depth of the drill in blockis specific to the lead screwbecause depth calculations are based on the parameters of the lead screw. If, for example, a new lead screwis used, new parameters will need to be entered for an accurate calculation in block.

106 10 30 28 48 46 11 30 26 44 38 42 36 11 46 48 54 36 36 44 10 11 32 70 In block, the drilling of the deviceis retracted. The application controllerinstructs the drill controllerto stop and then reverse the direction of the drill motor, which in turn rotates the chuckand the drill bitin a second direction (e.g., counter-clockwise). Concurrently, the application controllerinstructs the linear controllerto stop and reverse rotation of the linear motor, which in turn rotates the lead screw(through the shaft coupling) in a second direction (e.g., counter-clockwise). As a result, the carriage, along with the drill bit, the chuck, and the drill motor, moves in the backward direction. In one embodiment, the carriageis retracted at a constant rate. In one embodiment, the carriageis retracted at a variable rate dependent on the power consumption of the linear motor. The drilling of the deviceis retracted to a determined retracted position until the drill bitis returned back into the nose cone, and, thus, no longer contacting the bone(e.g., back into the calibration position).

108 10 11 46 11 50 12 11 46 10 20 10 70 6 FIG. In block, the deviceis used to perform an implantation process. In the implantation process, the drill bitis unloaded from the chuck. The drill bitis removed by removing the doorfrom the housing, and removing the drill bitfrom the chuck. An implant driver with an implant, such as a screw, screw holder, a pin, or a pin holder, is then loaded into the deviceas discussed with respect to. The user confirms that the implant is loaded using the user interface. The deviceis then used by the user to automatically insert the implant into the bone.

105 105 30 105 20 The implant is selected based on the depth determined in block. For example, an implant with a length corresponding to or equal to the depth determined in blockis selected. In one embodiment, the application controllerdetermines the implant based on the depth determined in block, and displays the determined implant on the user interface.

103 In one embodiment, the determined retracted position is a position in which a tip of the implant is located at position.

70 30 28 48 46 30 26 44 38 42 36 46 48 52 To insert the implant into the bone, the application controllerinstructs the drill controllerto start the drill motor, which in turn rotates the chuckand the implant in a first direction (e.g., clockwise). While the implant is rotating in the first direction, the application controllerinstructs the linear controllerto rotate the linear motorin a first direction (e.g., clockwise), which in turn rotates the lead screw(through the shaft coupling). As a result, the carriage, along with the implant, the chuck, and the drill motor, moves in the forward direction.

70 30 105 The rotating and the advancement of the implant is continued until the implant is fully inserted into the bone. In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the implant is fully inserted in response to determining the implant has been inserted to the depth determined in block.

30 105 30 38 10 30 48 26 70 38 30 105 The application controllerdetermines the depth of the implant with the same techniques as discussed with respect to block. Namely, the application controllerdetermines the current depth of the implant based on parameters of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter. In this case, however, the step counter is initialized to zero once the implant is loaded into the deviceat the determined retracted position, and the step counter is started in response to the application controllerinstructing the drill motorand the linear controllerto start to insert the implant into the bone. The current depth of the implant is then determined based on the pitch or the lead of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter, as discussed above. The application controllerdetermines the implant has been inserted when the current depth corresponds to or is equal to the depth determined in block.

20 70 48 10 106 The insertion of the implant is displayed on the user interface. Once the implant is fully inserted into the bone, the implant driver is disengaged from the implant by stopping the drill motorso that the implant driver is able to retract without rotating the implant out. The deviceis then retracted again as discussed with respect to block.

10 FIG. 7 FIG. 110 10 10 72 74 76 78 11 114 is a block diagram of a methodof operating a second cortex find mode of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the second cortex find mode, the deviceautomatically drills through the first, near cortex, through the intramedullary cavity, and stops once the second, far cortexis reached. More specifically, the drill process is stopped when the tipof the drill bitis at position(referring to).

110 94 95 96 98 100 102 101 104 94 11 10 95 10 70 96 10 98 10 100 10 98 102 30 78 11 72 103 101 104 30 72 78 11 90 74 9 FIG. In the method, blocks,,,,,,, andare performed as discussed above with respect to. In block, the drill bitis loaded into the device. In block, the deviceis positioned at a target location, such as the bone, by the user. In block, the deviceis calibrated. In block, drilling by the deviceis started. In block, the drilling by the deviceis advanced concurrently with the drilling started in block. In block, the application controllerdetects that the tipof the drill bitcontacts the first cortexat position. In block, a step counter is started. In block, the application controllerdetects that the drilling of the first cortexhas completed and the tipof the drill bithas reached positionat the intramedullary cavity.

104 30 72 78 11 90 74 44 48 44 48 30 11 74 44 48 44 48 102 30 11 74 44 48 44 48 102 72 74 20 As discussed above, in block, the application controllerdetects that the drilling of the first cortexhas completed and the tipof the drill bithas reached positionat the intramedullary cavitybased on the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor. In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas reached the intramedullary cavityin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas decreased from their respective first cortex baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount. In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas reached the intramedullary cavityin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas decreased from their respective first cortex baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount and at a determined rate of decrease. The completion of the drilling of the first cortexand the detection of the intramedullary cavityare displayed on the user interface.

104 110 30 10 100 In addition, in blockof the method, the application controllersaves and sets the decreased torque value (i.e., the current torque value) as an intramedullary cavity baseline torque value. The drilling by the deviceis then continued to be linearly advanced concurrently with the drilling as discussed with respect to block.

112 30 76 78 11 76 114 44 48 44 48 11 76 114 76 In block, the application controllerdetects the second cortex. More specifically, the application controller 30 detects that the tipof the drill bitcontacts the second cortexat positionbased on the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor. It is noted that the drill bitscores the second cortexat positionbut does not penetrate the second cortex.

30 11 76 44 48 44 48 104 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas contacted the second cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas increased from their respective intramedullary cavity baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount.

30 11 76 44 48 44 48 104 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas contacted the second cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas increased from their respective intramedullary cavity baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount and at a determined rate of decrease.

76 20 The detection of the second cortexis displayed on the user interface.

105 30 78 11 70 71 103 78 11 72 105 110 76 112 103 114 38 As discussed above, in block, the application controllerdetermines a current depth of the hole currently being drilled. The current depth is the distance the tipof the drill bithas traveled into the bonein the drill direction, starting from the position(where the tipof the drill bitfirst contacts the first cortex). As blockof the methodis performed in response to detection of the second cortexin block, the current depth indicates the depth of the hole drilled from positionto position. The current depth of the hole currently being drilled is determined based on the pitch or the lead of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter, as discussed above.

106 108 106 10 108 10 Blocksandare then performed as discussed above. In block, the drilling of the deviceis retracted. In block, the deviceis used to perform an implantation process.

11 FIG. 7 FIG. 116 10 10 72 74 76 76 78 11 120 is a block diagram of a methodof operating a second cortex drill mode of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the second cortex drill mode, the deviceautomatically drills through the first, near cortex, through the intramedullary cavity, through the second cortex, and stops after the second cortexhas been drilled through. More specifically, the drill process is stopped when the tipof the drill bitis at or passed position(referring to).

116 94 95 96 98 100 102 101 104 112 94 11 10 95 10 70 96 10 98 10 100 10 98 102 30 78 11 72 103 101 104 30 72 78 11 90 74 112 30 76 9 FIG. 10 FIG. In the method, blocks,,,,,, and, are performed as discussed above with respect toand blocksandare performed as discussed above with respect to. In block, the drill bitis loaded into the device. In block, the deviceis positioned at a target location, such as the bone, by the user. In block, the deviceis calibrated. In block, drilling by the deviceis started. In block, the drilling by the deviceis advanced concurrently with the drilling started in block. In block, the application controllerdetects that the tipof the drill bitcontacts the first cortexat position. In block, a step counter is started. In block, the application controllerdetects that the drilling of the first cortexhas completed and the tipof the drill bithas reached positionat the intramedullary cavity. In block, the application controllerdetects the second cortex.

112 30 76 30 78 11 76 114 44 48 44 48 30 11 76 44 48 44 48 104 30 11 76 44 48 44 48 104 76 20 As discussed above, in block, the application controllerdetects the second cortex. More specifically, the application controllerdetects that the tipof the drill bitcontacts the second cortexat positionbased on the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor. In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas contacted the second cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas increased from their respective intramedullary cavity baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount. In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas contacted the second cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas increased from their respective intramedullary cavity baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount and at a determined rate of decrease. The detection of the second cortexis displayed on the user interface.

112 116 30 10 100 In addition, in blockof the method, the application controllersaves and sets the increased torque value (i.e., the current torque value) as a second cortex baseline torque value. The drilling by the deviceis then continued to be linearly advanced concurrently with the drilling as discussed with respect to block.

118 30 76 78 11 120 44 48 44 48 In block, the application controllerdetects that the drilling of the second cortexhas completed and the tipof the drill bithas reached or passed positionbased on the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motor.

30 11 76 44 48 44 48 112 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas finished drilling the second cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas decreased from their respective second cortex baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount.

30 11 76 44 48 44 48 112 In one embodiment, the application controllerdetects the drill bithas finished drilling the second cortexin response to determining the measured torque of the linear motor, the drill motor, or both the linear motorand the drill motorhas decreased from their respective second cortex baseline torque value in blockby a determined amount and at a determined rate of decrease.

76 20 The completion of the drilling of the second cortexis displayed on the user interface.

105 30 78 11 70 71 103 78 11 72 105 116 76 118 103 120 38 As discussed above, in block, the application controllerdetermines a current depth of the hole currently being drilled. The current depth is the distance the tipof the drill bithas traveled into the bonein the drill direction, starting from the position(where the tipof the drill bitfirst contacts the first cortex). As blockof the methodis performed in response to detection that the drilling of the second cortexhas completed in block, the current depth indicates the depth of the hole drilled from positionto position. The current depth of the hole currently being drilled is determined based on the pitch or the lead of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter, as discussed above.

106 108 106 10 108 10 Blocksandare then performed as discussed above. In block, the drilling of the deviceis retracted. In block, the deviceis used to perform an implantation process.

12 FIG. 122 10 10 70 103 is a block diagram of a methodof operating a fixed depth mode of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the fixed depth mode, the deviceautomatically drills to a fixed, target depth into the boneand stops once the fixed depth is reached. The fixed depth may be any depth past the position.

122 94 95 96 98 100 102 101 105 94 11 10 95 10 70 96 10 98 10 100 10 98 102 30 78 11 72 103 101 105 30 9 FIG. In the method, blocks,,,,,,, andare performed as discussed above with respect to. In block, the drill bitis loaded into the device. In block, the deviceis positioned at a target location, such as the bone, by the user. In block, the deviceis calibrated. In block, drilling by the deviceis started. In block, the drilling by the deviceis advanced concurrently with the drilling started in block. In block, the application controllerdetects that the tipof the drill bitcontacts the first cortexat position. In block, a step counter is started. In block, the application controllerdetermines a current depth of the hole currently being drilled.

105 122 102 103 38 As blockof the methodis performed in response to detection of the first cortex in block, the current depth indicates the depth of the hole drilled starting from position. The current depth of the hole currently being drilled is determined based on the pitch or the lead of the lead screwand the current value of the step counter, as discussed above.

10 30 20 122 106 The drilling by the deviceis continued to be linearly advanced concurrently with the drilling, while the application controllercontinuously determines the current depth of the drill. The current depth is displayed on the user interface. The methodmoves to blockin response to the current depth being equal to the fixed, target depth.

106 108 106 10 108, 10 Blocksandare then performed as discussed above. In block, the drilling of the deviceis retracted. In blockthe deviceis used to perform an implantation process.

10 105 108 As the deviceis able to obtain an accurate depth measurement in block, the user is able to select an implant in blockwith the correct length to subsequently insert into the patient, and, thus, avoiding the use of implants with the incorrect length and reducing hardware waste, costs, and time.

13 FIG. 130 10 10 is a block diagram of a methodof operating a lag screw mode of the deviceaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the lag screw mode, the deviceperforms the second cortex drill mode with a first drill bit, and subsequently performs the first cortex drill mode with a second drill bit having a greater thickness (e.g., diameter) than the first drill bit.

132 11 71 94 108 10 130 134 106 11 FIG. 11 FIG. In block, the second cortex drill mode is performed as discussed with respect to. However, referring to, a first drill bit having a first thickness (e.g., dimension of the drill bittransverse to the drill direction) is loaded in block. In addition, block, in which the deviceis used to perform an implantation process, is not performed. The methodmoves to blockafter blockis completed.

134 94 9 FIG. 9 FIG. In block, the first cortex drill mode is performed as discussed with respect to. However, referring to, a second drill bit having a second thickness greater than the first thickness is loaded in block.

92 110 116 122 130 10 10 10 10 10 With respect to the methods,,,, anddiscussed above, the devicemay remain stationary once the deviceis positioned at the target location. Because of this, the devicehas the capability of attaching radiolucent components to the deviceso that the devicemay drill, measure, and insert implants either remotely or manually outside a direct field of an x-ray or fluoroscopy beam.

14 FIG. 14 FIG. 14 FIG. 136 136 10 10 137 136 11 10 32 is a radiolucent attachmentaccording to an embodiment disclosed herein. The radiolucent attachmentattaches to the deviceand allows the deviceto be positioned outside a direct field of an x-ray or fluoroscopy beam. The radiolucent attachmentis mounted with the drill bitin. However, the devicemay be mounted with various tools, such as drill bits, screws, pins, reamers, and anchors. The nose coneis not shown infor simplicity.

136 138 140 142 143 The radiolucent attachmentincludes a housing, a connector, gears, and a secondary chuck.

138 136 The housingis a protective body that contains internal components of the radiolucent attachment.

140 138 140 136 10 140 46 46 140 140 46 The connectorextends in and out of the housing. The connectoris a shaft that is used to physically attach the radiolucent attachmentto the device. The connectoris configured to be inserted into the chucklike other bits. Once inserted, the chuckholds or clamps the connector. As a result, the connectorrotates as the chuckrotates.

142 138 142 46 140 11 142 144 146 136 14 FIG. The gearsare in the housing. The gearsare coupled together and transmit the rotational movement from the chuckand the connectorto the drill bit. The gearsinclude a first gearand a second gear. Although two gears are shown in, the radiolucent attachmentmay include any number of gears.

140 144 144 140 40 144 The connectoris physically attached to or inserted into a central portion of the first gear. As a result, the first gearrotates as the connectorrotates. In one embodiment, the connectorand the first gearare one contiguous component.

146 144 146 144 146 144 The second gearis coupled to the first gear. The teeth of the second gearare meshed or engaged with the teeth of the first gear. As a result, the second gearrotates as the first gearrotates.

143 138 143 146 46 143 143 146 143 142 46 14 FIG. The secondary chuckis accessible outside of the housing. The secondary chuckis physically attached to or inserted into a central portion of the second gear. Similar to the chuck, the secondary chuckis a bit mount configured to hold or clamp a tool, such as a drill bit, a screw, and a pin, to be used in a drill and implantation process. The secondary chuckrotates as the second gearrotates. As shown in, the secondary chuck, through the use of the gears, is positioned vertically higher than the chuck.

136 143 11 146 11 146 In one embodiment, the radiolucent attachmentdoes not include the secondary chuck, and the drill bitis directly mounted on the central portion of the second gearsuch that the drill bitand the second gearare one contiguous component.

136 137 138 140 142 143 136 137 140 144 The radiolucent attachmentis made of radiolucent materials to allow x-rays, such as the x-ray beam, to pass through. More specifically, the housing, the connector, the gears, and the secondary chuckare made of radiolucent materials. Radiolucent materials may include plastic or carbon fiber. In one embodiment, components of the radiolucent attachment, which will not be aligned with x-rays, such as the x-ray beam, are not made of radiolucent materials. For example, the connectorand the first gearmay not be made of radiolucent materials.

143 46 11 137 10 137 11 92 110 116 122 130 10 With the secondary chuckpositioned vertically higher than the chuckand the use of radiolucent materials, the drill bitmay be positioned at the target position where the x-ray beamis transmitted without the device, which may include non-radiolucent materials, interfering with the x-ray beam. As such, x-ray images of, for example, the drill bitand the target bone may be easily obtained during performance of the methods,,,, and, without the deviceblocking the views.

11 11 11 In one embodiment, the drill bitis radiolucent with a radioopaque component (e.g., a bead of metal) at the tip of the drill bit. As a result, radiographic visualization of the position of the tip of the drill bitis easily obtained during certain surgical procedures, such as insertion of interlocking screws through intramedullary nails/rods.

The various embodiments described above provide a drill and implant device and method for using the same. The device is configured to automatically drill a hole into an object, such as a bone, stop once a desired depth has been reached, and subsequently insert an implant into the hole. The device is able to perform the drilling and the implantation without applying a physical force to the device. Further, the user may leave the device in a stationary position with respect to the handle during the drilling and the implantation. The device is able to automatically drill into a bone to different depths depending on whether the device is in a manual mode, a first cortex drill mode, a second cortex find mode, a second cortex drill mode, a fixed depth mode, or a lag screw mode.

Although the various embodiments described above utilize the device for surgical applications, the device may be used for other applications as well. For example, the device may be used for construction applications, home improvement applications, and various other types of applications.

A medical device is summarized as including: a handle including a support portion; a housing coupled to the handle; a rail in the housing and on the support portion, the rail including a rail platform configured to move along the rail; a carriage in the housing and on the rail platform, the carriage including a threaded portion and a mounting portion; a lead screw in the housing and extending through the threaded portion; a linear motor in the housing and coupled to the lead screw, the linear motor configured to rotate the lead screw; a chuck in the housing and on the mounting portion, the chuck configured to hold a bit; a drill motor in the housing, on the mounting portion, and coupled to the chuck, the drill motor configured to rotate the chuck; and a nose cone coupled to the housing and aligned with the chuck and the drill motor.

The medical device further includes: a user interface on the housing, the user interface configured to display information to a user and receive input from the user.

The medical device further includes: a bearing structure coupled between a sidewall of the housing and a first end of the lead screw.

The medical device further includes: a shaft coupling coupled between a second end, opposite to the first end, of the lead screw and the linear motor.

The mounting portion includes a through hole, and the drill motor extends through the through hole.

The housing includes a door that exposes the chuck when the door is opened.

The medical device further includes: a linear controller configured to control the linear motor; a drill controller configured to control the drill motor; and an application controller configured to control the linear controller and the drill controller.

The application controller is configured to: control the linear controller to move, by the linear motor, the carriage to a calibration position; control the drill controller to rotate, by the drill motor, the chuck when the carriage is in the calibration position; and determine, concurrently with the chuck being rotated, a baseline torque value based on a torque of the linear motor or the drill motor.

The application controller is configured to: control the drill controller to rotate, by the drill motor, the chuck; control the linear controller to move, by the linear motor, the carriage concurrently with the chuck being rotated; and detect a first cortex based on a first current torque value of the linear motor and the baseline torque value.

The application controller is configured to: determine a first cortex baseline torque value based on the first current torque value; and determine a completion of a drilling of the first cortex based on a second current torque value of the linear motor and the first cortex baseline torque value.

The application controller is configured to: determine an intramedullary cavity baseline torque value based on the second current torque value; and detect a second cortex based on a third current torque value of the linear motor and the intramedullary cavity baseline torque value.

The application controller is configured to: determine a second cortex baseline torque value based on the third current torque value; and determine a completion of a drilling of the second cortex based on a fourth current torque value of the linear motor and the second cortex baseline torque value.

The linear motor includes a motor encoder configured to translate each determined rotation amount of the linear motor into an electrical pulse, and transmit the electrical pulse to the application controller, and the application controller is configured to: control the drill controller to rotate, by the drill motor, the chuck; control the linear controller to move, by the linear motor, the carriage concurrently with the chuck being rotated; detect a first cortex based on a first current torque value of the linear motor and the baseline torque value; start, in response to detection of the first cortex, a step counter; and increment the step counter in response to the electrical pulse being received from the motor encoder.

The application controller is configured to: determine a depth of the bit based on the step counter and a pitch or lead of the lead screw.

The medical device further includes: radiolucent attachment including: a secondary housing; a connector extending out of the secondary housing and configured to couple to the chuck; a plurality of gears in the secondary housing, the plurality of gears including a first gear and a second gear, the first gear coupled to the connector; and a secondary chuck or a bit coupled to the second gear.

The secondary housing and the plurality of gears are made of a radiolucent material.

A device is summarized as including: a handle; a housing coupled to the handle; a rail in the housing, the rail including a rail platform; a carriage in the housing and on the rail platform, the carriage including a threaded portion and a mounting portion; a lead screw in the housing and coupled to the threaded portion; a linear motor in the housing and coupled to the lead screw; a chuck in the housing and on the mounting portion; and a drill motor in the housing, on the mounting portion, and coupled to the chuck.

The linear motor includes a motor encoder configured to translate a determined rotation amount of the linear motor into an electrical pulse, and transmit the electrical pulse, and the device includes an application controller configured to: determine a baseline torque value based on a first torque value of the linear motor; rotate the chuck with the drill motor; move the carriage with the linear motor concurrently with the chuck being rotated; detect a first cortex based on a second torque value of the linear motor and the baseline torque value; start, in response to detection of the first cortex, a step counter; increment the step counter in response to the electrical pulse being received from the motor encoder; and determine a depth of a bit in the chuck based on the step counter and a pitch or lead of the lead screw.

A method is summarized as including: loading a bit into a device, the device including: a rail having a rail platform; a carriage on the rail platform, the carriage including a threaded portion and a mounting portion; a lead screw coupled to the threaded portion; a linear motor coupled to the lead screw; a chuck on the mounting portion, the bit being loaded into the chuck; and a drill motor on the mounting portion and coupled to the chuck; moving, by the linear motor, the carriage to a calibration position; rotating, by the drill motor, the chuck when the carriage is in the calibration position; and determining, concurrently with the chuck being rotated, a baseline torque value based on a torque of the linear motor or the drill motor.

The method further includes: rotating, by the drill motor, the chuck; moving, by the linear motor, the carriage concurrently with the chuck being rotated; and detecting a first cortex based on a first current torque value of the linear motor and the baseline torque value.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.